Ranked Voting (ie, Instant runoff, alternative vote, transferable vote, preferential voting)
- Thread starter strawman
- Start date
The general consensus is that it really should just be a National Holiday already, at least between the voting hours. I know more and more unions are making it a requirement for contracts with businesses: they want to be sure members can vote, for obvious reasons.[DOUBLEPOST=1479418679,1479418599][/DOUBLEPOST]
I hardly think a Federal holiday on the day in which people engage in one of our most important civic duties is asking for too much. Fuck, switch it out with Columbus Day because that dog needs to be taken out and shot anyways.
An extra free day could influence the way people decide to spend it. Unless you go full down-under and make voting mandatory or a fine, the weekend is safer.
I think making it a holiday wouldn't help. Those same people who can't vote because they have to work would still be working. They'd probably have to get time and a half, but most of those types of jobs don't close on federal holidays. Voting on weekends is the same deal, people with those low income jobs still work on weekends.
Putting the day on a weekend might disproportionately affect lower-income households with jobs that call for weekend hours. We all know that people are supposed to be able to take the day to vote, but we also all know that businesses pressure employees into taking as little time off as possible. If the intent of changing the day is to make it easier for the population at large to vote, then a National Holiday and more early voting options is the way to go.
I think early voting needs to be mandatory more than anything else. Or make it a whole week where you can vote instead of just 1 day. It makes the whole process less dramatic, because you don't have all the votes coming it at once and boosting news ratings, but it's ridiculous and unnecessary to only allow one day for voting.
There is only one state in which you cannot request time off work to vote: Washington, which abolished the laws when it went mail-in voting.
Election Day is a legal holiday in Puerto Rico. Most people get it off, those who do not are still given time to vote because employers are required to make shifts that allow it.
20 states do not have a specific law regarding being able to take time off to vote but I'd imagine it would be a tough fight to defend firing someone for voting. You're more likely to set precedent in your state to require you allow it then defend your right to fire someone for voting.
Every other state makes provisions that you can at least request time off to vote, usually giving you 1-3 hours to do it, and cannot be fired for doing it. Sometimes these hours are even paid.
Some of them are paid, but it's more likely that people have to take unpaid time off, which, again, is not something everyone can afford to do. Can't be fired is one thing, losing a days pay is another. In areas where it can literally take all day standing in line to vote (which is more a trend in states that don't have early voting), there is also more to worry about than just your job, such as whether or not you can easily take kids to the poll with you. Extending time allowed to vote will at the very least allow less excuses for not voting.
So make it a weekend holiday then. Way less shops to close on weekends.
Week long voting though? Imagine Election Day with exit poll returns called out throughout the week, and as one side finds its losing they muster the electorate and continue to visit states and crest ever more vile rhetoric...
Do mail in ballots if you must, but let's have the polls/deadline happen in one day.
Do mail in ballots if you must, but let's have the polls/deadline happen in one day.
I had assumed the votes themselves would not be unsealed/counted until that last day, to avoid this very thing.
--Patrick
Exit polls probably would not be. Two days before the end of the election news organizations will be calling some states for one candidate or another, despite complete lack of actual poll returns.
